Letters to the editor for Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016

Voting is a responsibility

Voting is not optional, it is a responsibility, no different than going to work, or caring for your loved ones.

It disheartens me when I see a letter to the editor or a guest columnist in the Appeal where the writer threatens to not vote in the upcoming 2016 election because they don’t like either candidate.

When you think about all of the men and women who have given their lives so that we as citizens can have a say in who represents us in the Government; it is total disrespect for them if you don’t exercise your right to vote.

I spent more than 20 years in the U.S.A.F. Early in my career I flew surveillance missions around the Soviet Union, China and North Korea. Later, I flew combat missions over North Vietnam. Although I enjoyed the camaraderie with some great friends, sitting in an ejection seat for 12 to 15 hours per flight was definitely not fun. I have no regrets, but I feel that I have earned the right to speak up about our responsibilities.

My father was a Polish immigrant who took pride in his right to vote and to the best of my knowledge never missed an opportunity to vote after he became a U.S. Citizen.

I do not have any respect for citizens who don’t exercise their right to vote.

Don Gurney

Carson City